~r l'btt't) Wrbtl£'. Book 11. 81 ----- SECT. XXIV. Of our wrt}lling witb Sawt as to this aj]'ault• 1. c0nf.Jer, if t~OU art conceited of thy tirength of grace, it is t.he ready. Wa] to niake thee grow loofe and negligent in thy duty ; nay, its well tf H bring thee not !Urther, even to a defpifing of holy Ordinances, except thou hafi fome more courtly fare then ordinary : Such a p>fTe were t,hc· Corintbians come to, Now 1e are fi•/1 1 now ye are ricb, ye reign like Kings withtmt '"· One obfcrves well, how tl>e AppoUie layes the accent of thefe words on the Particle Norv. l Now ye are fit!I q d. I know the time, when ii PaHI had bur come ro Town, and it news had been lprcad abroad in the City that Pattl was to preach, you would have Hockt to have heard him, and you would have bldfed God for the foa!on, but then you were poor a11d C pnpty; bur Now ye artfull, nor.ye arerich, norr ye reignlikf Kiny witbout us: Now or, •. e. ye have got to e\1 higher attainment, Pa11l is a plain-fellow now; ne may now carry his chear to an hungry people, if he will•; but as for your parts you are well apaid. Thus the Apolllc fpeaks by way of an Ironical reproof, to make way tor his following exhortation to humility, exemplified by hirnfdf and his mean conditi0n. And \)h that we had not the like occafion to (peak to fomc, who pcrfwade themfdvcs they want nothing more of our help; , who cxtoll rhemfelvesabove all others, as a King in his Kingdom: the worll we wiilt you, is this, I would to Godye did ,.eign ; 11 deed and trmh, bur alas, if once thou art conceited of thy tlrength, it is to be feared the next news we hear of thee will be fad, either thou wilt be above Ordinances, or thou wilt grow Joofe and !1Cjlligent in them ; WC have had WOfuJ experience of thiS, 2· Confider an over.weeningconceit ofthy own fireugth of grate , will make thee too bOld and prefumpruous. Mr. Gurnal tcls us, 1be bumble Chriflian is tbe wary Chrijlia~z> he k,no"'J his weai<,nelfe, aHdthis makp him 4raid, I have a weJk head (faith he) I may foon bedifpmed into an errour and herefie and therefore I dare not come where fuch tluff'e is broached, leaft my weak head fhould be intoxicated : On the other fide, the conti– dent man he'll fipof every Cup, hefears no poyfon,hc is fo dlablifht in rhe rrurh,rhar the whole ream of·hereticks O~allnot draw him afide. 1have a vain light heart, faith rbe hum ble foul, i dare ~or come amon£; wicked debauch co!Ppany, kit l fhould at lall bring the naughty amn home with me ; bur on~ conceited of rhe llrength ofhis grace, dares venture into the devils quarters ; as Pmr into the rout of Chrit!s cnemi«, and how , he came offyou know, there his laith had been Oain on the pbcc had not Chrifi founded a retreat by tile feafonablc look of love he gave him: It was a bold fpecch ofMr. Clapham and yet a good man (as my Author faith) If Clapham die of the Plague, fay Clapham had 110 Fait~; and rhis mJde him bo·ldly go among the infccrcd. 3• Confider, aconceit of thy llrength of grace wiU make thee cruel .ro thy weak brethren in \heir hJ!innitfS> and lurely rhi• (m leJfl becomes a Sair.t; it is rhe Apofiles coun!d, If aman be overtakfn in a faHit, ye whicb arefpiritttal, re/lore /itch a one;., tbe fPirit of meek.,ncfi: bur how !hall a fo~l t;ct fuch a meek fpirit ) it follows, Confider- Gal.t,r. i11g thy [elf, leaftthm al{o be tempted. Why arc m,n fo llurp in rhcir CLnfureo, but becau{e they trufl too much to their grace, as if they could never fall) it wasotherwife withBernard, who when he heard ofany lCJudalous tiu ofa ProfeJTor, bodie illi, cr"s mibi would he fay, he fell to d.;y, a;zd I mJj ;ittmble to mom"'. , · 4· Tur~ the eye trom tht: truidc:ts and chnt)Crous. Cpecubtion of rhy own worthi~ •:tfs and fallen it a while upon thy wrruptiou, and intirmities, upon thy manydc– hciem:es m r~ltg10us durtcs, wanes and w..:J.krtdfc~ in prot~er, omi1Jions ofoccafionS for the iul>rging ot the Kingdome of (hritl; !i:ar of the vain and wrerchcd impt~tations o( wortdhngs, "'d out ot this codiJeration thou wilt be (o f•r from fdt,conceitednefs of rhy own gifts and graces 1 that thou wile tind muGh maUtr > and JUlt ·cau!C, ro rl!· ne_w d~y. repentance, to continue rby humiliation> and eo Hand npon the gultd again!C rlus fpmtual pride. 5: Con!.idcr the firongefi Chrit1ian harh nnt his firength in hitnfdf, but Ol."llY in ~hn,Jt; llwe,_yct nu I, b~! C?rijt Jivetb me. ft:r; all. tht: myrrhc 1 <J.nd odo~1~·s> and Gal.t, 2 o. ~nftr~_ment: ot Bej~tri PurJticatiOn, and atl her nch and co111y :1pput:l) m regww [Jei' G1~t Of theKlitgi f.J~Hir~ .nzdtbc ItoyatCruwu:m.lJ put ttpJ;: bc:-- b:.:d bj' the hingi on'.'; b:md ~so Eft 2 IJ •• M oll ' · ' ··
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